Dear Famili, malo ho'omou lelei! It’s been a while since I last visited our website. My humble apology for being selfish and for not visiting more often. My wife has been checking our website whereas I didn’t. Fortunately, for me, after having two major surgeries at the newly-built Vaiola Hospital which left me with just my right kidney, I have now managed to recover slowly but with very good progress, and through it all I have learnt time and again how life is indeed a gift from above. Such as standing beside my wife in expecting our first child soon, and writing these few words to reach out to you all at “our little home on the web”. So yes, malo ho’omou lelei. Pea malo e ngaue malohi mei hena. It’s Sunday afternoon here at the Lalo Kalosipani, 12th December 2011, and I just had some homework done (halfway), plus accounting for our village water in terms of budgeting and transactions. Then just as my stomach is crying out for some good food, ko e fuke mai ia ‘e Neniti ‘emau ‘umu. Back in the olden days, we would commonly say “ko e lusipi ai pe” but now we say “ko e lumoa ai pe”. Kae hange ko e lau, the best time to have it is when you’re dead hungry, and that’s how it was. Plus, with some ‘apele ‘initia juice ke ne tafi’i hifo ‘aki e ngako ‘a e luu. Kauteme, ‘oku ou lolotonga ongo’i fiemohea ni, ko e fo’i inu ‘apele ko ia. 'Oua! Mei he Lalo Kalosipani, I’m glad to say ‘oku ‘ikai mole ha mo’ui. Meia Maliana Sisifa kia MaliaLutu ‘oku mau kei manava kotoa pe. Neongo ne mavahe atu e ni’ihi ‘o nofo laui ‘aho mo mahina ‘i he falemahaki Vaiola, but thankfully and for the Grace of God, ‘oku mau toe foki mo’ui mai ki he Lalo Kalosipani. Kei fiefia ai pe he tauhi ‘api ‘oku fai ‘e Neniti mo Tiana, kae pehe kia Fifita. Pea lava atu ko ia mo e faha’ita’u ako 2011. Ko e tanaki tu’unga ‘o e St. Francis of Asisi Kindergarden ‘i Pasilika, ko e pale malie taha ne ikuna ia ‘e Saimone Patrick Mahe ko e tu’ukimu’a ‘i he longomo’ui taha, lea tau’ataina mo e fokotu’utu’u poloka. And like many parents, kuo mau pahia kimautolu he ta’ota’ofi longoa’a ‘i ‘api, now that school is over. Mei he tafa’aki ‘e taha ‘o e Lalo Kalosipani, there sits my sweet mother, either busy in sowing mo e tohi ngatu, pe ko ‘ene tangutu atu mo ‘ene fanga Tafola (Tina, Soana, Sefo, Tualeka), watching those Korean movie series. It worries me that she’s that type of workaholic or perhaps Korean-movieholic, but on the other hand, it keeps my mom busy and happy. Then there’s her favourite son in law, Lika, who’s a workaholic by day and an alcoholic by night with his close buddy, my uncle Lisiate. And the Tafolas are getting pretty handy in doing laundries, cooking (with frowning faces), and sometimes helping Lotiola’s tohi ngatu but only because they can get to ask for ice-cream thereafter. As many of you have known, with the coming celebration commemorating ‘Apifo’ou College’s 125th Anniversary, that has become the focal working point for many of us here. Like ‘Analena and Fifita, they get to attend choir practices every night except for Saturdays, along with ako faiva (Milolua) fakapalokia. ‘Ai ai ‘emau tokolahi, mo ‘emau toe kau he hiva le’o women’s only, ko e hiva le’o fefine mo tangata, pea mo e toe hiva le’o tangata ‘ata’ataa. Pea ‘oku ‘alu ai pe teuteu ni mo hono fa’ahinga teu hange ko e faka’otai (‘a ia kuo fakafo’i ki he ni’ihi) mo e fakakava (‘a ia kuo lahi fakamo’ua ki he ni’ihi), pea ko e hiva ni, ‘e toki mahino pe he ‘aho ko ia pe ‘e lava pe ‘ikai. Ne tuku ‘aki e ako hiva one Sunday, ‘a e meimei houa ‘e ua ta ‘a e ako e fo’i hiva Maasi, mo e hahaka hake e kau hiva kuo mahua kotoa mai e ngaahi fu’u kane ‘otai ‘e fa na’e ‘osi teuteu’i, ko e ola ia e si’i feinga ‘a e fanga ki’i fanau kenau inu ha ‘otai he kuo nau fiu he tali. Anyhow, mahino ko e hala ki he ikuna ko e hala faingata’a, pea ko ia kuopau ai ke mau makataki’i e mama mo e hopohopokia. Anyway, that will be all from me for now. Will hope to update you guys again when these festivities are over.

'Ofa lahi atu, Hiko Si'i